Skiing: Driving school offers tips for snow covered roads

Skiing or riding during a snowstorm or after a big powder dump is the best, but getting to the mountain can sometimes be tricky and stressful.

A couple of weeks ago, an 18-inch storm in southern Vermont hit during the night, so driving to the mountain on the snow-covered roads was slow. Although, I have an all-wheel drive with snow tires the large amount of snow had me worried. Luckily, my trip to the mountain was okay. The roads had been plowed and were in decent shape, but it still required careful driving since there were icy or snowy spots.

It got me thinking that practicing driving on snowy roads might be a good idea just like taking a ski or ride lesson on the slopes makes sense.

Drivers take part in a course to help better navigate snowy roads.(Photo: Photo courtesy of TeamONeil)

For over 20 years, the Team O’Neil Rally School has provided loose surface and winter driving instruction for students as young as 14 to get them more comfortable driving in quickly changing weather conditions. The one-day Winter Driving School offers training on the five types of skids encountered in snowy conditions: oversteering, understeering, brake lock-up, spinning tires and counter skids.

Located in Dalton, New Hampshire, the school is a short distance to several ski resorts including Cannon Mountain, Bretton Woods and Loon, so it’s easy to combine it with a couple of days of on-snow activities for a fun weekend.

The facility has 583 acres of terrain featuring a combination of corners, blind crests and junctions, with elevation changes up to 500 feet.

The school also has a 350-foot skid pad so drivers can practice various skids by staying in a constant radius corner for a sustained amount of time. There’s a slalom course to do more of the same and figure out where the weight of the car should be for the most effective driving.

“You can be the safest winter driver on the road but you’re only as good as the tools you use,” said Travis Hanson, director of operations. “Before you leave to go to a ski area, always make sure your car is prepared for winter,” he added.

Drivers take part in a course to help better navigate snowy roads.(Photo: Photo courtesy of TeamONeil)

Perhaps the most important tool is the set of tires. They need a good tread as they are the point of contact with the road. And, even if you have an all-wheel drive car, it’s not much good without winter tires, according to Team O’Neil.

“If you have to drive to the top of the mountain, winter tires are designed to do the job,” he said.

Driver preparedness is also important. Tip Number One: Slow down. “It doesn’t matter if you have a four-wheel drive SUV or a rear-wheel drive BMW,” said Hanson.

He recommends slowing down on all car inputs—steering, braking and gas. “Ask the car to do less in the winter time when it’s snowy or icy,” he offered. It’s also important to do one thing at a time and be more progressive on the steering, braking and gas.

Participants bring their own cars so they can learn about how their vehicle handles and reacts on snow and ice as well as how the safety systems function. For instance, pumping brakes on a slippery hill is not necessary if your vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes, a driver aid technology that pumps brakes for you at a faster rate. “Apply firm pressure and allow the computer to do the work for you,” says Travis.

Another winter driving tip: Look where you want to go rather than where your car is pointed. “If you see the pathway out and steer where you want to go, you’ll release brake pressure and that will give steering the traction it will need to go that way,” explained Travis.

Most skiers don’t get a chance to practice steering and driving in skidded conditions but a winter driving session is one way to find out.

Skiing and driving have a lot in common: pressure control depending on conditions, slowing down in adverse weather and looking in the direction you want to go. Practicing these tips can make you safer on the snow and on the roads.